The Long Way Home
by Hope in Death
Summary: AU An experiment gone awry lands Harry in a world completely different from his own. And for a boy who was supposedly raised by Albus Dumbledore, he wasn't as opposed to the Dark Arts as he should be.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Summary: AU An experiment gone awry lands Harry in a world completely different from his own. And despite opposing Voldemort's views, he has no desire to stand against Voldemort himself. After all, Voldemort was only an older version of Tom, right?

Author's Note: In case this comes up later, let me make this clear. There is **NO SLASH**. And for the most part, no real pairings either.

**The Arrival**

_11/14/09 – 12/6/09_

For James Potter, it was another late night at the Ministry. Work had officially ended hours ago, but he had decided to stay a while longer to wrap up a few extra cases. It was hard, he decided, being the Head Auror. Stacks upon stacks of reports and assorted documents were piled precariously atop his desk, waiting to be reviewed.

"Prongs," a handsome face with a head full of dark hair poked through the entryway of the office. "It's about time to pack up and go home, don't you think? We're the last ones here – again." He was frowning, muttering something about working overtime and needing more pay, but James wasn't paying attention – at least, not completely.

"I just have a bit more to do." he answered, running his hand through his messy hair. "You can go home first."

Sirius eyed the stack of reports. "A bit?" he asked, disbelief lacing his tone. "That'll take forever. You're not planning to stay the night in this office again, are you?" There was a slightly accusatory note in his tone, but he didn't push the subject, knowing it was still a sore subject for his friend.

"Well," James looked up, a look of mock accusation on his grinning face, "If _someone _actually did their work instead of shirking off their responsibilities all the time, I wouldn't have to spend extra hours here every night doing _double _the work."

"Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that." Sirius answered, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I'll head back first then. Don't stay too late. Prongs Jr. and I will be waiting for you at home – at Potter Mansion."

The meaning behind those words was left unspoken, but James got it as clear as if it had been spoken aloud. "Mhm," he answered noncommittally, reaching for another report. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sirius shake his head in frustration. However, he was grateful that his friend didn't try bringing up _that_ subject again.

Locking the door after his friend's exit, James continued working for a while. However, as the night wore on, he grew more and more exhausted. In the end, he simply dropped the report and rested his head against the desk. Thinking he would just close his eyes for a bit (and then go back to work), he didn't even realize when he drifted asleep.

* * *

Sirius paced restlessly in the living room as he cast agonized glances at the clock. It was half past midnight. What did James think he was doing? Casting a surreptitious glance towards his godson, Sirius quickly looked away again, unable to stomach the look of pure misery on his downturned face.

It was at times like these that Sirius Black seriously considered murdering his best friend and then committing suicide afterwards. But, knowing James was suffering too, he couldn't even bring himself to properly blame him either. However, it didn't stop him from wishing that James would open his eyes and realize he hadn't lost _everyone_.

True, Lily and Harry were gone. But, he still had another son – a child who desperately needed a father. And, if he didn't think he would be able to raise a child alone, he had him, and Remus, and Peter too.

"Dad's not coming back, is he?"

Sirius jumped, startled out of his thoughts by the quietly voiced question. Turning to face his godson, he was once again struck by the child's uncanny resemblance to his mother. If he had been a girl, he would have been identical to Lily as a child. Fair-skinned and soft-spoken, the boy was a constant reminder of his late mother.

A long time ago, Sirius had joked that Lily had finally managed to do the impossible – she had cloned herself. From his red locks to his piercing green eyes, there was almost nothing of James in him. Even his personality was more like his mother.

"Padfoot?"

Realizing he was making his godson uncomfortable, Sirius quickly averted his gaze. "Sorry," he murmured. Not even he was completely sure if he was apologizing for staring or for James' absence.

"I'll head to bed now."

Sirius nodded, knowing it would only hurt him more if he mentioned James now. However, as he watched the boy's dejected figure amble up the winding staircase, he couldn't help but feel angry on his godson's behalf. Thus, for a long time afterwards, Sirius continued to sit at the couch, waiting for James to return so that he could give him a proper lecture. But, when hours passed without his friend showing any signs of returning, he resigned himself to the fact that James was not coming home tonight.

However, as he was getting up to go upstairs to catch a few hours of sleep before the morning sun rose, he suddenly caught sight of the parchment his godson had been clutching. The boy had been fairly excited about whatever was on there, wanting his father to be the first to see. However, as time had gone by without any signs of James' return, the boy had grown more and more dejected. Eventually, he had crumpled the parchment and tossed it aside altogether.

Now, holding the crumpled ball of paper, Sirius debated whether he should look or not. In the end, however, curiosity won out and he unfurled the parchment. It took him a moment to understand what all the marks meant. But, when he realized what it was, he whistled in surprise. "He's Lily's son alright." he murmured.

Henry Potter had received nearly full marks for all his exams.

* * *

An infernal pounding noise tickled the edge of his senses as James sluggishly lifted an arm, searching for his blasted alarm clock. When his groping was met with air, he groggily lifted his head and looked around in confusion. It took him a moment to register the fact that he had spent the night at the Ministry again.

And the pounding was back again. But this time, James knew it was Sirius at the door. No one else would be bothering him at – he checked the clock – 5:00 in the morning. "Hold on, I'm getting it." he shouted, searching for his wand. But, the pounding on his door never ceased even though he was sure Sirius had heard him perfectly fine.

With a roll of his eyes, James made a swish with his wand and unbolted the locks. And, at once, Sirius rushed in with murder in his eyes. "James Potter!" Sirius roared, anger fueled by the look of complete ignorance on his friend's face. "Do you know how long we – no, Henry – waited for you yesterday?"

James immediately felt guilty. He hadn't meant to stay the night. He had just closed his eyes for a second, and the next thing he knew, it was morning. "Is he…okay?" he asked, feeling horrible for not being the father he should have been.

"What do you think?" Sirius asked, slamming a sheet of paper on his desk. "He waited for hours, wanting you to be the first one to see _this_." Sirius wanted to stay angry, but as James picked up the crumbled parchment, reading through it with increasing guilt, Sirius found that he couldn't stay angry even if he had tried.

"I'm sorry." James whispered as Sirius was exiting the door.

Sirius paused. "I'm not the one you should be saying that to." Then, he left, knowing James needed time to himself. It wasn't the first time James had disappointed Henry, and Sirius was sure that it wouldn't be the last either. Things may improve for a while, but none of it would last. Eventually, James would snap, unable to see Henry without him being reminded of the son and wife that he had lost.

And things would go back to square one.

And again, the one who would be hurt most was Henry.

* * *

Sirius wasn't sure how long he waited outside James' office, guarding his privacy by collecting everyone's report before they could go in and disturb him. Already, he had a nice pile of documents at his feet for his troubles.

Just as he was about to relax, however, his sharpened senses picked up a set of frantic footsteps pounding their way. Straightening, he quickly stretched out his arm and grabbed the young man before he could barrel into James' office. Pulling the young auror a distance away, Sirius said, "Feel free to hand your report to me. Head Auror Potter is currently unavailable to answer your –"

"But, I need to see him, this is –"

Sirius glared. "And like I said, he's indisposed."

"But –"

"What? Am I not good enough because I'm not the Head Auror?"

"No, that's not –"

"Then, just give me the damn report and –"

"It's Code Black!" the young man snarled, irritated at being interrupted again and again. "Diagon Alley is under attack by Death Eaters!"

Sirius eyes widened as he shoved the man aside. "Why didn't you say so earlier, fool?" he growled as he quickly rushed into James' office, missing the man's incredulous look. "James! We've got a Code Black in Diagon Alley!"

At once, James dropped the parchment and grabbed his wand.

* * *

"Team 2 and 5, all suspicious individuals within the vicinity are to be detained for questioning." James hollered over the chaos of the aftermath. "Team 1 and 4, secure the area. Keep alert in case Death Eaters return with reinforcements. Team 3 will aid Auror Sirius in bringing injured civilians to St. Mungos."

James frowned, taking in the destruction the Death Eaters had left behind. Even though they had arrived in time to prevent a complete bloodbath, they hadn't been quick enough to save everyone.

"All right, be careful. Levitate them slowly. _Slowly!_" Sirius barked from a distance away. "Now, you," he said, addressing someone James couldn't see too clearly. "Take these civilians to St. Mungos and then come back immediately. We need as many hands as we can afford so _don't_ dawdle."

There was an answer of "yes sir" followed by a soft pop, announcing the man's departure. And, not long later, James found Sirius. "How are things holding up?" he asked, noting the dark, unreadable expression on his best friend's face.

"They're despicable." Sirius spat. "They're worst than despicable. They're –"

James didn't have to ask to know that the "they" Sirius was referring to was the Death Eaters. And he whole-heartedly agreed. How anyone could bring themselves to attack civilians – especially the young ones – was beyond him. But then again, what had he been expecting? These were Death Eaters, after all. "We'll need to report this at the Order Meeting tonight." he finally spoke, cutting off Sirius' rant.

However, Sirius was not to be deterred. "And what was Snape doing?" he demanded with a hiss, barely remembering to keep his voice low so that no one else would overhear. "Shouldn't he have alerted the Order about this raid? I knew we couldn't trust the bloody git."

"Sirius, I'm sure there's a _reasonable _explanation for this." James cut in, emphasizing the word 'reasonable' to show that if Snape didn't have a good explanation, he would be the first one in line to hex him. "What's important now is getting –"

"Let go!"

James and Sirius simultaneously turned towards the source of the shout, where two of their Aurors were trying to hold down a flailing, young boy. They were a bit of a distance away, so it was impossible to tell what was really going on. However, both of them had their suspicions. Without so much as a glance toward the other, the two quickly made their way toward the three.

For James, this was the part of the job that he hated most. How did one go about telling a parent that their child was gone? Especially when he, himself, was still grieving for the family he had lost 10 years ago. And, possibly even worst than the former, what was one supposed to tell a child who had just lost their family? How did one tell a child that their parents weren't coming back – that they were now orphans, casualties of the war? If his own child had been –

"James," Sirius whispered to him as they near the trio. "Snap out of it. This isn't the time to be thinking of the past. We need to stay focused."

Jaws clenching, he nodded his head.

* * *

"Please," they were now close enough to hear the Aurors pleading with the child to stay calm. "Things are a bit chaotic right now. But, once we clear things up a bit here, we'll help you find your family. So, please, calm down –"

"You don't understand." the boy cried, frustrated.

For reasons unknown, James suddenly found his heart pounding the nearer he got to the three. And, more and more, he wished the boy would turn around so that he could see his face. It was an urgent feeling that drove him forward, pressing him to see the boy face to face.

"Child, you have to understand, we're at war. There is a chance that..." the man trailed off and took a deep breath. "There's a chance that your family didn't make it."

The response was instantaneous. The boy snarled as he twisted his arm out of the man's grip. "My _brother _would never have been brought down by _this_. If you won't help me look, I'll look for him myself!"

And in that second that the boy turned around, James swore his heart stopped. Whereas it had been beating furiously before, he suddenly found it hard to breath.

"Impossible," he heard Sirius whisper from beside him. Both of them had stopped, unable to move – unable to take their eyes off the young boy that had stopped as well, staring at them in shock. By all rights, he shouldn't be jumping to conclusions. His son was dead. Even if the child before him could have passed as his twin in his youth, and had Lily's green eyes, it did not mean anything. It _shouldn't _have meant anything.

But then, why was both Sirius and he held spellbound? Vaguely, he noted that the two Aurors were speaking to him about something. It could be important, but for the life of him, he couldn't seem to understand a word.

James and Sirius was still reeling from the shock when the boy slowly took a hesitate step forward and murmured, "Dad? Padfoot?"

And the dam broke.

* * *

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Origins**

_12/6/09 – 12/17/09_

James was in a daze as he waited outside Hogwarts' Hospital Wing. After a short (albeit heated) debate, he and Sirius had agreed that it was best to bring Harry to Hogwarts instead of St. Mungos for the blood test. Whether Harry was really his son or not, it was best if the press didn't get wind of it.

Still, even though he had agreed to the blood test, meaning that he was somewhat open to the possibility of Harry being his son, he didn't actually believe it was true (right?). Harry was dead. Had been for 10 years. He had buried him with his own hands. And dead people did not come back to life.

"Mate, you okay?"

At the sound of Sirius' voice, James quickly snapped out of his thoughts and looked up. Noticing the concern on his face, James immediately felt guilty for making him worry. Quickly plastering on a smile, he laughed, "Of course I am. I mean, even if he's not _my _Harry, it doesn't change anything. Harry's been gone for years now…I'll…it'll be okay."

"James," Sirius murmured, unconvinced. He may not be the most insightful person there, but he probably knew James even better than James' parents. And, as a result, he often saw what others didn't see (and possibly what James didn't even realize himself). James _wanted _this to be real. He wanted Harry to be _his _Harry. And, whether he realized it or not, the results were going to affect him either way.

However, no matter how much James (or Sirius, for that matter) wished it to be true, it didn't change the fact that there was a large chance that the boy was _not _Harry Potter. Actually, Sirius would go so far as to venture that there was a better chance of Voldemort seeing the error of his ways (and advocating equal rights for everyone) than Harry coming back, which was why he had been against the whole blood test thing. The odds were against them, and he feared what would happen to James if the boy was not who he claimed to be.

* * *

Harry Potter sat quietly on the edge of the bed as Madam Pomfrey rushed about the Hospital Wing, collecting the necessary things to perform the blood test. Despite his initial panic and confusion, he _did _know what was going on. Kind of. After all, the whole point of the entire experiment was to see if Dimension Traveling was possible.

He just hadn't expected it to work.

When the magic and pulled him from his home and deposited him in Diagon Alley, he had assumed he had done something akin to disapparating. But upon seeing the damage around him, he had panicked. At that point, he had somewhat suspected that he was no longer anywhere nearhome, but he hadn't wanted to jump to conclusions.

Thus, he had tried to look for his brother because his brother would know what to do. However, he hadn't sensed his presence anywhere. And again, he had panicked. It was at that time that the final piece of the puzzle fell into place. Despite losing his parents at a young age, Harry _did _remember what his father looked like. And of course, he could never forget Sirius.

And like that, he understood that he had done the impossible. He had traveled across space to a world that was vastly different from his own. A world where his parents – or, at the very least, his father and godfather – were still alive.

Of course, he had been briefed on what he _should _and _shouldn't _do in the slim chance that the experiment did work. However, to be honest, he hadn't paid much attention because he _hadn't _expected for it to work.

He understood the basics though, and that would have to be enough for now.

"Here, dear, this should only hurt a bit." Madam Pomfrey's voice suddenly cut into his thoughts. He looked up as she knelt before him. "I need a drop of your blood." She explained. "A small drop from your finger should be enough."

Harry hesitantly nodded as his mind raced with the implications of taking part in the blood test. On one hand, he had been explicitly told not to tell anyone his identity because it was likely another version of himself already existed. Dimension Travelling wasn't something that should be made public. And it would be pretty hard to keep things hushed if two Harry Potters walked down the street together.

However, from what he could understand of the situation (from his father's expression), there _was_ no Harry Potter in this world. Harry assumed something similar to what had happened in his world had happened here. Only, his parents hadn't died. He had.

* * *

Even though he had seen the boy already, and made a silent promise to not jump to any conclusion until _after _the blood test, he couldn't help but gawk at the child who looked so much like his best friend. If Henry had been Lily's clone, then Harry – no, this boy – was James'. And in his heart, Sirius already knew that regardless of whether the child was James' or not, he was going to have an impact on their lives.

"Are you ready, Mr. Potter?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

Sirius tore his eyes from the glum-looking child and forced his attention back on his friend. James looked like he could pass out at any given moment, and Sirius was more than just a little worried about him. "Just so you know," he suddenly piped up, earning a half-hearted glare from Madam Pomfrey, "I'm not catching you if you faint."

And if the situation hadn't been so serious, James would have laughed (or smacked him). However, he was too nervous to do anything besides nod. He hadn't even dared to look at Harry. And, at the last moment, he had nearly lost his nerve and ran out of the room. The blood test be damned! He couldn't do this!

However, the decision was taken out of his hands. Everything was ready, and the last ingredient was added before he could even begin to form a protest. "It'll only take a moment for the results to show up." Madam Pomfrey kindly explained, misinterpreting his look for one of impatience. "However, I must ask you to not be to disappointed in the case that –"

James' face was turning green, and Sirius wondered if James was going to pass out before the results showed itself. To be honest, however, he wasn't feeling too well himself. And he suspected that if the results turned out negative, James wouldn't be the only one suffering the consequences of shattered hope.

* * *

Harry's eyes shifted towards the entrance of the Hospital Wing when he felt a familiar presence near the doorway. His eyes widened slightly as the old wizard leaning against the door frame winked and placed a finger to his lips, asking him to keep his presence a secret from the others. Unwittingly, Harry felt himself smile in response as he nodded.

"Holy Hippogriffs!" Sirius' sudden cry resounded through the hospital wing, snapping Harry's attention back to his father and godfather. Sirius, looking almost as excited as if Harry had been revealed as _his _son, had pushed James aside to get a closer look at the results that were displayed on the parchment before them. "He really _is _Harry Potter!" While his friend continued to stare at Harry in disbelief, Sirius quickly turned and enveloped him in a large hug. "Harry! I – you're Harry!"

Harry grinned, his early melancholy forgotten for the moment. "I already told you that." he cheekily responded. "I'm –" His words were cut off as his father, who had finally snapped out of his daze, lifted him out of Sirius' hold and gave him another suffocating hug. Unsure of what to do, Harry tentatively returned the hug and remained still.

It had been eight years since his father had last held him. And, if he was honest, he had somewhat missed the feeling as well. After his parents' passing in that accident, he had focused his attention on his new family, doing his best to forget the past.

After a moment, a soft clapping interrupted their moment and his father quickly drew back to face the wizard he had seen earlier. Eyes red from crying, his father could barely contain his excitement as he exclaimed: "Professor Dumbledore!"

_Dumbledore?_ Harry's eyes snapped to the wizened face. Taking in the face lined with wrinkles and worry lines, he was surprised to realize that it _was _Albus Dumbledore. However, he forcefully reminded himself, this was _not _the same man who had raised him. Just as…just as this father wasn't _really _his dad. At that realization, Harry felt his earlier excitement recede.

"I…This…" his father wildly gestured, groping to find the right words to express his excitement. Unaware of Harry's sudden shift in mood, an impossibly large smile stretched across his delighted face as he finally settled for saying: "This is Harry." His excitement only grew as he happily emphasized, "_My_ Harry!"

However, Harry was hard-pressed to share his excitement. Not when he knew that he wasn't _really _his Harry. However, he couldn't tell anyone that either. So, he settled for a neutral expression as he watched the others' response.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily as he replied, "I heard, as I suspect the whole castle has heard." At this, he gave Sirius an amused look. The latter simply grinned in response.

"This – I…I never expected –" James was at a loss of words as he turned his gaze back to Harry. His eyes were warm and affectionate as he held his son close to him.

"Congratulations, my boy." Dumbledore smiled, genuinely happy for his past student. Then, turning his eyes to James' newfound son, he continued, "And welcome back, Mr. Potter. I expect great things from you. After all, not every wizard comes back from the dead." He winked, showing that he had meant no ill with those words.

"I'll try my best to set a good example for all future ghosts and resurrected wizards, sir." Harry seriously replied, but couldn't hold back the grin that tugged at corner of his lips. Despite knowing that this man wasn't the same one that had raised him, Harry found it impossible to not smile in the old wizard's presence.

Sirius grinned as he clapped his arms around his friend's shoulder. "I think Harry here has inherited my gift for words. We'll make a marauder out of him, yet!"

James gave his friend a mock glare as he shrugged off his arm. "I'll have you know Harry is _my _son. How could he have inherited anything from _you_?"

"Aw, James!" Sirius pouted, looking slightly put out. However, he quickly recovered as a mischievous twinkle entered his eyes. "Well, I've had enough! I can't keep this secret anymore." Turning to Harry with complete seriousness, he said, "I have a confession to make." Pausing for dramatic effect, he continued, "Harry, I am your father." Ignoring his friend's splutter, he plowed on. "Well, your _other _father. You see, I took a potion that allowed me to have babies. So, you see, you're _actually _the son of Sirius Black and –"

"Padfoot!" James interrupted, covering Harry's ears. "He's ten, for goodness sake! He doesn't need to hear about the birds and the bees!" Then, humor lacing his tone, he added, "And stop trying to steal my son!"

Prying his father's hands from his ears, Harry gave his father a slightly disgruntled look. "Actually, I just turned _eleven_." he corrected.

Sirius broke into laughter as he ruffled Harry's hair. "Well, big man, what do you say we go get something good to eat and leave these wankers to themselves?"

"I could take him to –" James began, but stopped when Sirius gave him a look.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Sirius." Dumbledore agreed. "I daresay the house elves will be delighted to show young Harry the delights of Hogwarts. My personal favorite is the lemon-key pie."

"C'mon pup," Sirius grinned, lifting the pouting eleven-year-old into his arms (and ignoring his protests that he could walk perfectly fine on his own). "Maybe we can explore the castle a bit after…"

They're voices gradually trailed off as they walked further and further away. Once the duo was a good distance away, James slowly turned to Dumbledore and asked the question that had been on all of their minds. "How?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Why don't we take this conversation to my office?" he suggested, leading the way out. "Good day, Poppy." he kindly greeted as they passed her on the way out of the Hospital Wing.

"Good day, Headmaster." Madam Pomfrey tiredly returned. Once everyone had left her Wing, she turned to the empty room and sighed. While she was happy (confused, but genuinely glad) about the results, she was slightly irked by the mess they had left in her domain. Thus, it was with a longsuffering sigh that she took out her wand and began sterilizing her Wing.

Completely embroiled in her work, she never noticed when the blood test revealed a second set of results. Beneath the names of James and Lily Potter, which had faded, were the neatly written names:

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Tom Riddle_

And by the time she finally got around to putting away the parchment, the names had long disappeared from the sheet.

* * *

TBC


End file.
